Racket holder



F. F. SPROW RACKET HOLDER Nov. 1, 1938.

Filed Feb. 24, 1957 1 N V EN TOR. F EEDEEICK F J eow A TTORNEY PatentedNov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orricr.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to holders for'rackets, and particularly thattype of holder which receives such rackets as are employed in theplaying of the game of tennis. The construction of such type of racketis well known and need not be further described, other than to stategenerally that they are provided with a handle member, at one end ofwhich is a hoop tightly strung longitudinally and laterally with stringsof gut or like material which, due to the tension of the strings, isconsiderably affected by weather conditions, particularly atmospherichumidity. The gut or strings may absorb moisture from the atmosphere ormay become moist during playing of a game or in transportation to andfrom a game, or even in storage, and when the strings contract in dryingthe hoop becomes warped from its normal plane. Also, if one or morestrings are broken during the playing of a game, or even while theracket may be idle or in storage, the tension of the remaining unbrokenstrings will warp the hoop of the racket from its plane, or even causeit to become radially distorted unless means are employed to preventsuch action. For instance, if strings of a racket are broken in play andthe racket is laid aside where it may be subject to the rays of the sunor other heat, the hoop will become distorted in a relatively shorttime. This distortion of the hoop may be in either the normal verticalplane or the normal horizontal plane, or both. Therefore, the need for aconvenient racket holder to overcome the aforesaid difficulties will bereadily apparent, so that both, or either, of such distortions may beeliminated.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a racket holder whichwill prevent warping of the hoop from its planes and maintain the shapeof the hoop radially. Another object is to provide a holder for racketswhich will accomplish the foregoing objects and is adjustable forholding rackets of varying sizes and shapes and having differingthicknesses of the hoop. Another object is to provide a holder forrackets which is strong, durable, efficient, compact, and light inweight. A still further object is to provide a racket holder having theaforesaid characteristics, and which will be adaptable to accommodateeither one or two rackets so that one racket may remain protected by theholder while another racket is in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which will be moreapparent as this description proceeds, the invention is exemplified inone form in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out inthe claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, size and details of construction of the apparatusmay be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

To more clearly comprehend the invention, reference is directed to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of the invention employed for asingle racket.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a modified form of the invention adapted forholding two rackets.

Fig. {l is a transverse vertical section on line IV'--IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged section on line V-V of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail in perspective of a form of clamp orgripping member.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail in perspective of a clamp or grippingmember and a threaded bolt member.

Since the mechanism of movable parts of the devices shown by Figs. 1 and3 are the same, it is believed that they may be adequately described forboth the types of devices by reference to the mechanism of Fig. 4. I 7

Referring to the drawing in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the several views, It! indicates a foundation orbaseboard which is preferably of greater length than width which may beof any suitable rigid material, but which in the preferred formi1lustrated in the drawing comprises a laminated structure of relativelythin sheets of wood Ii in which the grain of abutting layers is arrangedangularly to the next abutting sheet or layer of material. Theselayersare securely fastened together by'suitable means such as glue,forming a compact, strong, rigid board. The exact shape of the plane ofthe board is more or less immaterial, and it is'to be understood thatthe shape thereof is not limited to the illustration of the onepref-erred form shown in the drawing hereof.

Regardlessof the shape of the plane of the board, it will have fourquadrants, a, b, c, and d, from its central radial point. At the edgeofthe board in each of these quadrants are clamps or gripping members l2,I3, I4, and 15. The gripping members l2, l3 at one end of the board areangle-iron. members, one arm of which is.

fixedly attached to the board by screws l6. At

the opposite end of the board in the adjoining quadrants c, :1, thereare recesses 11, 18 which are closed at the surface of the board byplates is, 2!] which are fixedly secured to the board by screws 2|. Theinner face of the plates I9, 20 have affixed thereto threaded stud-bolts22, 23,

the threaded portion of which extends. substane tially radiallyoutwardly from the plate and the baseboard Ill/Upon these bolts 22, 23,are slidably mounted the gripping members l4, l5, the

bolts 22, 23, passing through the openings 24 of these grippingmember's.

bers l4, l5 are also of angle-iron construction,

one arm of which, 25,.is adapted to slide within the recesses I1, I8. Itis preferred'that a terminal portion 25 'of the arms 25 shall be insetat 7 its edges as at 25 whereby the gripping member may be partiallypulled out of the recess and the clamp portion l5 rotated on the bolt23fso that theclamp portion 15 lies substantially on. a level with thevertical plane of the baseboard, as best shown in the dotted lines ofFig. 1. By this means the insertion of aracket in the holder isadjustable for use'each time that a racket'is placed'in or taken fromthe holder.- Therefore,

means are provided at the member H for adjusting it radially inwardly oroutwardly to a relatively permanent adjusted position, means being theknurled finger grip member 26 threadedly mounted on'bolt 23, whereasthemeans for similarly, adjusting the operative clamp member I5 ispreferably a wing-nut'21. All of the gripping members or clamps I 2, 13,I4, i5 extend from the baseboard in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of the board, and each of them isformedinwardly at the free end which is spaced from the board; so that theface of a racket hoop maybe engaged thereunder.

' It isrtherefore to be noted. that by disposing the clamping members inthe four quadrants with the adjustable clamp members l4, l5 on studbolts which aresubstantially radial to the board, the radially inwardpressure from these adjustable clamp members is in the direction of allthree of the other clamps, firstly toward the diagonally opposite clamp,secondly, toward the laterally opposite clamp, and thirdly, toward thelongitudinally opposite clamp; also, that as the adjustable clampmembers are tightened simultaneously forced "under. the

against the hoop, the outer face of ,the hoop is inwardly turned freeend portion of the clamps so as to clamp the other face of the hoopagainstzthe board.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,'the clamps are on bothsides of the baseboard l5 and the free or clamping ends thereof extendin relatively opposite directions substantially perpendicular to theplane of the board. The holder is substantially a doubling of that shownby Fig. l, and, the boards are placed back-toback and secured togetherby suitable means,

The gripping memsecured in. place by the screws 2| passing there-'through, as best shown in Fig. 5.

such I such as glue. understood that the board may, if desired, be madesomewhat thicker than the board of Fig. 1, but not necessarily twice asthick. The recesses l1 and I8 in Fig. 4, and the accessory plates I9,20, as well as the clamps or gripping members I4, 15, stud bolts 22, 23,and the nuts 26, 21 are of the same mechanical construction as inFig. 1. The only addition to the mechanical structure is theinterposition of a plate 29' 7 between the recesses l1, [8 for theopposite sides of the board. The plate 29 is inset at its. side edgesinto the side walls of the recess andis From the foregoing descriptionit is believed that the operation is apparent. Having accomplished aproper relatively permanent adjust- 'ment of the gripping member M, theracket is placed in the holder with one face of the hoop overlying thebaseboard. In order to readily in-' sert the racket the gripping member[5 may be turned or rotated sidewise'on the bolt 23 as shown in dottedlines of Fig. l, and may be returned to its clampingposition after theracket a is inserted. The wing-nut 21 may then, be tight- In thismodification itris to be ened .to clamp the racket in the holder. The

forming over of the free ends of the gripping members l2, [3,14, I5 ispreferably not at a right angle, but is: more or less arcuate so as toaccommodate and securely grip racket hoops of varying thickness. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A holder for racketscomprising a baseboard adapted for. receiving one face of a racket inrelatively overlying relation, grippingmembers mounted at the fourquadrants of the baseboard and extending therefrom in a directionperpene dicular to the plane thereof and each including means spacedfrom the baseboard for engaging the racket hoop at its opposite face, aportion of id gripping. members being movably mounted 'novementsubstantially radially inwardly and outwardly relative to the baseboard,and means for clamping said 'movable' gripping member against the hoopof aracket in the holder.

2. A holder for rackets comprising a baseboard adapted for receiving oneface of a racket in relatively overlying relation and having a recess-ata quadrant edge thereof, gripping members mounted atthe fourquadrants ofthebaseboard and extending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to theplane thereof and each including means spaced from thebaseboard forengaging the racket hoop at its opposite face, a portion of saidgripping members being movably mountedin said quadrant recess andadapted for movement substantially radially inwardly and outwardly relative to the baseboard and means for clamping said movable grippingmember against the hoop of a racket in the holder. v

3. A holder for rackets comprising a baseboard adapted for receiving oneface of a racket'in rela-I tively'overlying relation and having recessesat 7' quadrant edges thereof, a plate overlying each recess, grippingmembers mounted at the four quadrants of the baseboard and extendingtherefrom in a direction perpendicular to the'plane thereof and eachincluding means spaced from the baseboard for engaging the racket hoopat its oppos'ite face, a portion of said gripping members being movablymounted in said quadrant recesses for; movement radially inwardly andoutwardly relative to the baseboard, and means for clamping said movablegripping member against the hoop of a racket in the holder.

4. A holder for rackets comprising a baseboard adapted for receiving oneface of a racket in relatively overlying relation and having recesses atquadrant edges thereof, plates overlying said recesses, threaded boltsmounted at said recesses,

gripping members mounted at the four quadrants of the baseboard andextending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to the plane thereofand each including means spaced from the baseboard for engaging theracket hoop at its opposite face, a portion of said gripping membersbeing movably mounted in said quadrant recesses for movement radiallyinwardly and outwardly relative to the baseboard and means mounted onsaid bolt for clamping said movable gripping member against the hoop ofa racket in the holder.

5. A holder for rackets comprising a baseboard adapted for receiving oneface of a racket in relatively overlying relation and having a. recessin each of adjoining quadrant edges of the board, a pair of grippingmembers at each of the opposite end portions of, the baseboard andextending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to the plane thereofand each including means spaced from the baseboard for engaging theracket hoop at its opposite face, the pair of gripping members inadjoining quadrants of the board being movably mounted in said quadrantrecesses and adapted for movement radially inwardly and outwardlyrelative to the baseboard and toward and from the diagonally oppositegripping member, and means for clamping said movable gripping membersagainst the hoop of. a racket in the holder.

6. A holder for rackets comprising a baseboard adapted for receiving oneface of a racket in relatively overlying relation and having a recess ineach of two quadrant edges of the board, a threaded bolt mounted at eachof said recesses and extending outwardly substantially radially to theboard, a pair of gripping members at each of the opposite end portionsof the baseboard and extending from the board in a directionperpendicular to the plane thereof, and each including means spaced fromthe baseboard for engaging the racket hoop at its opposite face, two ofsaid gripping members being mounted on said bolts at said recesses andadapted for movement radially inwardly and outwardly relative to thebaseboard and means for clamping said movable gripping members againstthe hoop of a racket in the holder.

FREDERICK F. SPROW.

